Questions Of Identity Research Articles

New Moorish architectural identity in Tlemcen, Algeria

Abstract In Algeria, the city of Tlemcen is home to 60% of the country’s Arab-Islamic architectural heritage, also known as Moorish. During the French colonization, the rich Moorish historical and architectural heritage was largely diminished. The architecture of Tlemcen’s historic old town was gradually replaced by classical architecture in the early days of colonization, and then by modern architecture from 1940 onwards. After the independence in 1962, the city has carried out huge programs of facilities and new housing, based on modern architectural principles. In 2011, Tlemcen was designated a “Capital of Islamic Culture” and, in preparation for this international cultural event, new cultural facilities and hotels have been built, inspired by Moorish heritage. Given the heterogeneity of references and in particular the identity crisis ensuing in architecture in Tlemcen, this event was the key moment for validating a stylistic choice, which directly recounts the history of the city. The question is: what authenticity is expressed by the current use of the Moorish referent? Is it technical and material authenticity, or merely symbolic and cultural genuineness? This study delves into the question of identity in architecture. It analyses the new Moorish-style buildings in Tlemcen and highlights their contribution to the quest for a local identity and the ambition to produce local architecture. The article supports the hypothesis that architecture is an effective means of expressing identity and that it has always had, and continues to have, a close relationship with memory. The methodology is based on a combination of several investigative tools: surveys, photographs and archive consultation. These tools helped develop a building analysis grid, which serves as a repertory for describing the buildings, according to two levels of reading of the architectural work. We have chosen three Moorish and four contemporary buildings to which the different criteria of the analysis grid are applied. The results of the analysis of the new buildings show that, in a way, they enabled to establish continuity and dialogue with the Moorish heritage.

Just not cricket: Baseball, youth and national identity in late nineteenth-century children’s magazines

In the late nineteenth century, baseball became enshrined as America’s national sport. Across American culture, the game became imbued with a series of values and characteristics that seemed redolent of life in the Gilded Age and beyond. This article explores the ways in which this process played out in the pages of popular magazines directed at the children of the nation’s elite. These neglected resources provide us with an extraordinary lens through which to chart both the changing place of the national game within the lives of American children and the changing meaning of baseball within the life of the nation. In poems, stories, illustrations, editorials and even reader’s letters, children were newly acculturated into the sporting life in ways that had profound implications for wider questions of childhood, gender, race, class and national identity.

Recount Restriction and Identity in Margaret Atwood’s Surfacing

Margaret Atwood’s Surfacing crams the effects of the demarcation of identity revels in Canadian history where the question of Canadian national identity was sprouting, becoming a pointer that was more clearly defined and more intentionally sought out by Canadian artists and citizens. Atwood’s Surfacing can be considered in light of these historical developments, in sketching the establishment of recount restriction and not an avowal of the positive effects with such identifiers can bring. As a Canadian writer and a woman in particular, the narrator’s communal groupings stipulate her victimhood, a notion that explores in relation to Atwood’s major work of Canadian literary works. The narrator’s initial state of close proximity total psychological constriction is pinpointing the peril of social borders, and it is only in evading the identifiers that define her in peculiar of national, gender, and epistemological establish that she comes to a sort of completeness. This breaks out takes the form of a turn towards the chaotic world as a truly borderless space where it is doable to mendan inconsistent self.

Reconsidering questions of identity

Reconsidering questions of identity

Muslim women’s diasporic identity: a critical discourse analysis of Leila Aboulela’s Minaret (2005)

ABSTRACT Due to different unpropitious circumstances, immigration is globally on the rise. A Muslim Sudanese woman’s diasporic experience can be best perceived through a critical discourse analysis (CDA) of Leila Aboulela’s novel Minaret (2005). In a study of Minaret’s textual analysis, this article applies three central CDA postulations: 1. Teun A. van Dijk’s (1993a, & 2006b) three layers of study through ‘Discourse, Cognitive, and Society’, 2. Ruth Wodak’s ‘Language, and Ideology’ in the study of discourse analysis, and 3. Norman Fairclough’s (1996a, 2001b & 2013c) ‘3D model of CDA’. This research explores the social, diasporic, and historical challenges through a textual analysis of Minaret, which is faced by Sudanese women in Britain. Najwa, the protagonist struggles to find her identity while encountering innumerable challenges in the diasporic route. Her dis/placement of identity, and religion can be seen to construct an identity in a multicultural world (like Britain). In a nutshell, Minaret presents Najwa’s identity, representation, and language relation in social practice. Class conflict, power inequality, and a struggle for identity quest are contemporary issues that have been demonstrated around Najwa’s life.

(Re-)Writing the Holocaust After Brexit: The Afterlives of British Fiction

ABSTRACT This article examines the representation of a Nazi-occupied Britain in post-2016 reworkings of earlier alternative histories in which Britain lost the war. It does so by placing the 2017 television series SS-GB and C. J. Carey’s 2021 novel Widowland in conversation with their original counterparts: Len Deighton’s 1978 novel of the same name and Robert Harris’ Fatherland of 1992, respectively. Each text therefore has to imagine the consequences of Nazi victory for the Jews of Britain. Appearing in a post-Brexit context in which questions of national sovereignty and identity have been contentiously brought to the fore, these adaptations reveal a tendency towards British heroism in the face of European domination, and reinforce the isolationist messages that had been central to the referendum’s ‘Leave’ campaign. In each case, the British setting reveals the potential for political danger to be found close to home. The encroachment of what had been considered the European malaise of antisemitic murder into the British present is articulated through the act of revision and adaptation. This article shows how the themes of the original works were employed post-2016, and asks why the wartime murder of the Jews is ultimately not their central concern.

Cultural Alienation and Identity Crises in Anita Desai's "Bye-bye Black Bird"

The quest for identity and alienation are the central concerns of Anita Desai's works. She has tendency to look into every aspect of a person's life. In her book Bye Bye Blackbird, Anita Desai explores the lives of Indian immigrants in England before to 1964, the year in which England fundamentally altered its immigration laws. Particularly Indians flying to England are the Blackbirds. The world of three people who are limited by their identities is explored in Bye Bye Blackbird, along with how they must discover who they really are. Three characters -- Adit, Sarah, and Dev takes Centre stage in the story. Adit and Sarah have a greater attraction to India following their terrible events in England, and the narrative exposes their true crises as they struggle to create their own lives in a foreign place. Dev, who had first expressed some sort of hatred towards England, has since come to regard it as his home. This paper critically examines the loss of identity and cultural alienation with reference to the Novel “Bye- Bye Black Bird".

We returned home empty-handed: COVID-19, care, and contested citizenship of Naga migrant workers in northeast India.

COVID-19 highlighted interconnections between matters of identity and citizenship, vulnerability, and inclusion in/exclusion from systems of care in times of crisis. Migrant workers from Nagaland state, northeast India, were disproportionately impacted by the pandemic's socioeconomic consequences. The public health emergency brought into question who is 'Indian' and the citizenship rights attached to that identity, heightening migrants' exclusion from central structures. Communitarian responses in Nagaland enhanced resilience in the face of often inadequate government responses; however, COVID-19 also exposed structural inequalities within and between Naga communities. This study shows that identity-based citizenship regimes and multi-nation federalism interact to increase minorities' exclusion during crises, and that crises can strengthen both divisions and solidarity at the local level in multi-nation federal systems. Inclusion in and exclusion from systems of care are shaped by and can reshape notions of identity and citizenship, underlining the need for inclusive sociopolitical systems to mitigate crises in multi-nation federal states.

Indie film entitled Pugon: Reflecting the experiences of the modern Indio in the current formulation of Philippine society

This study introduces the indie film titled "Pugon: Reflecting the Experiences of the Modern Indio in the Current Formulation of Philippine Society." It investigates the nuanced experiences of contemporary Indios within the evolving landscape of Philippine society, offering a profound exploration of their challenges, endeavors, and triumphs in the quest for identity amid societal transformations. The researchers aim to provide a deep and meaningful examination of the struggles, aspirations, and accomplishments of the Indios as they navigate their personal battles, dreams, and the realities they face as individuals in society. Employing qualitative research methods, the film emphasizes the intricate experiences of the Indios, showcasing personal narratives, dreams, and the societal formulations that pose challenges and limitations to their progress and the pursuit of their aspirations. The findings encapsulate the multifaceted stories and characters representing the modern Indio, fostering a profound understanding of the social, cultural, and personal issues they grapple with in contemporary times. The film serves as a testament to the capability of indie cinema as a powerful instrument for broadening understanding and discourse on the social, cultural, and personal experiences of the Indios. In conclusion, "Pugon" stands as a unique indie film, serving as both a mirror and a spokesperson for the experiences, efforts, and hopes of the modern Indio in present-day Philippine society. It values its identity, aiming to open doors for deeper comprehension and appreciation of films that celebrate the culture, society, and individuals of the Philippines. The study suggests avenues for further exploration in the realm of cultural identity, discrimination, and the challenges faced by the Indios in Philippine society.

Unravelling Societal Constructs and Feminine Agency: A Critical Analysis of Manju Kapur’s Difficult Daughters

Manju Kapur's Difficult Daughters stands as a pivotal work in the realm of Indian English literature, delving into the intricate complexities of familial dynamics, societal norms, and individual agency against the backdrop of pre-partition Punjab. This research article aims to explore Kapur's narrative through a critical lens, dissecting themes of tradition, rebellion, and the quest for identity within the context of a patriarchal society. By examining the characters' struggles and triumphs, this study seeks to unravel the multifaceted layers of gender roles and societal expectations depicted in the novel. Through a combination of literary analysis and sociocultural critique, this research endeavors to shed light on the enduring relevance of "Difficult Daughters" in contemporary discourse on gender, tradition, and autonomy.

Identifiziert euch (nicht): Deixis, Adressierung und Distanzmanagement in Shida Bazyars <em>Drei Kameradinnen</em>

This article examines deixis and reader address in narrative texts in order to develop a differentiated and appropriate understanding of identification for the analysis of literary texts, especially with regard to questions of identity and representation. Taking a close reading of Shida Bazyar's 2021 novel Drei Kameradinnen as a starting point, I show how deictic procedures and the inclusion or exclusion of readers in addressing them function on the one hand as strategies managing and navigating distance and proximity, and on the other hand as devices constituting a co-presence of narrator and reader. Drei Kameradinnen in particular, directly addressing the reader and involving them in deictic procedures and literary text in general, by employing deictics and implying addressees, demand an identification, conceived as a process not of empathizing with a character, but of adopting a deictic center of orientation (origo).

The Resistance Narrative in Arabic Science Fiction: Azem’s The Book of Disappearance (2014)

This paper aims to analyze the mode of resistance narrative in Ibtisam Azem’s The Book of Disappearance (2014), which is read within the frame of Arabic Science Fiction. The study answers the following questions:(1) What are the Arabic Science Fiction tropes in Azem’s novel? (2) How does ASF subserve resistance narratives in Azem’s novel? (3)Why does Azem utilize the Dystopian Narrative for resistance narratives? The study examines the structure and themes of Azem’s The Book of Disappearance in terms of postcolonial and science fictional theories. The study’s methodology considers Kanafani’s resistance narrative, Morrison’s rememory, and Hochberg’s archival imagination in exploring the historical frame in Azem’s The Book of Disappearance. The analysis of Azem’s The Book of Disappearance interconnects the Palestinian resistance literature and the postcolonial writing to the ASF tropes and techniques. The alternative history closely examines the controversy between Israeli utopia and Palestinian dystopia. The study concludes that in Azem’s novel, the 1948 Nakba is recreated in the future through the imaginative incident of the Palestinian disappearance. As Palestinian novels often grapple with the complex question of identity in the face of displacement, occupation, and cultural pressures, Azem’s novel inspects the question of identity through a simulation of history in Alaa’s diary and through the gaze of Arial, the Israeli journalist. Azem’s novel confronts this trauma, giving voice to the pain and suffering of the Palestinian people through the Arabic Science Fiction frame of a dystopian narrative that dismantles the Zionist ideology and Israeli oppressive regime.

A Phenomenological Approach in Neil Gaiman’s The Ocean at the End of the Lane

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman revolves around an unnamed protagonist who attends a funeral while visiting his birthplace and recalls happenings that started forty years previously. The novel delves into themes such as the quest for identity, the gap between childhood and adulthood, and memory and perception. This research aims to phenomenologically study the effects of subjective experience and its effects on perceptions and memories in Neil Gaiman’s novel, The Ocean at the End of the Lane.

Environmental change and identity questions in farmer and herder’s eco-violence narratives in the Nigerian Benue Valley

Environmental change and identity questions in farmer and herder’s eco-violence narratives in the Nigerian Benue Valley

A Comparative Approach to Identities in Toni Morrison’s and Léonora Miano’s Novels

Women writers from the African Diaspora are committed to the question of identity. They construct extraordinary imaginary worlds, sometimes closely linked to their host societies or those of their ancestors. This in-between-cultures characteristic explains the plurality of identities that unfold. The desire to assert their rights and acquire financial mobility forces the fictional subjects evolving in these spaces to embark on a frantic quest for material goods. But to preserve their cultural heritage, influenced by that of elsewhere, they undertake a process of identity construction. Through these narrative strategies, a transgressive practice emerges whose aesthetic aim is to advocate justice. The novels surveyed depict several female figures whose convergent and divergent aspects merit in-depth critical analysis. To this end, the comparative approach will elucidate two major axes, namely "emerging identity forms" and "socialization strategies".

De l’histoire familiale à l’Histoire d’un peuple : le conflit de Palestine dans « Le Palais des deux collines » de Karim Kattan

In this article, we propose to analyse the way in which Karim Kattan uses a personal family story in his novel Le Palais des deux collines to recount events from the wider history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, from 1948 to the present day. We will look at several aspects: the question of identity (between belonging to a people and the experience of exile), the allegorical device used by the author to create parallelism and the metaphorical role of certain main characters.

La dimension patrimoniale dans le livre enfantin : cas de la collection albumique « Malika et Karim » de l’édition Yanbow al Kitab

In this study, we attempt to identify the sources of the heritage highlighted in the album collection for children Malika and Karim of the Moroccan Edition Yanbow al Kitab and how it examines the question of identity through heritage. We will see how the textual and paratextual elements (illustrations, colours, framing, etc.) contribute to conveying the Moroccan heritage culture and what linguistic and stylistic processes are implemented to facilitate understanding and memorization.

Du Bois, Marx, and the Jewish Question Reconsidered

ABSTRACT W. E. B. Du Bois’s groundbreaking scholarship on race and racial prejudice was inseparable from his lifelong struggle for racial justice, Black liberation, and against social and political oppression. Both in his theoretical and in his historical-political work, Du Bois substantially and critically engaged with the “Jewish question”: with Jewish life, history, and politics, with the experiential perspective of an oppressed minority, and with the fight against prejudice and racial hatred. Throughout in life, and in particular in later years, Du Bois was influenced by Karl Marx’s critical analysis of social and economic life; Marx’s own discussion of the “Jewish question,” concerning the difference between political equality and human emancipation, proved substantial to his argument on civil rights and racial justice. In this article, I argue that Du Bois did not only draw from the Jewish experience and from Marx’s work on the “Jewish question” in his work on African American history and politics, but also that he, in fact, reconsidered the “Jewish question” from an African American perspective, offering his own reading and understanding of the “Jewish question,” thus applying his concept of double consciousness for rethinking it as a question of racial identity and racial consciousness, and as relevant and applicable to Black liberation and the fight against racism.

Becoming indigenous in postrevolutionary México. The Lake Pátzcuaro landscape as a place of discursive struggle

ABSTRACT In this paper, I examine the emergence of discourses on the indigenous during the postrevolutionary period in México (1920–1940), focusing on the Lake Pátzcuaro region, an iconic national landscape, and an indigenous region in central west México. Understood in terms of practice, this paper uses landscape as a lens to examine questions of identity, discourse, and power, emphasising its relational, constructed nature. It focuses on the set of discursive practices known as indigenismo. The central idea posed in this paper is that although postrevolutionary indigenismo served as a tool for governance, it also provided a language for the indigenous people to articulate their demands, enabling the articulation of indigenous identities.

‘It’s nice that we can do that too’: investigating transgender persons' negotiations with identity and community questions in Indian science institutions

Abstract In 2014, the Indian Supreme Court passed the landmark NALSA v. Union of India judgment that not only granted transgender persons the right to self-identify their gender but also recognized their right to equitable and accessible education. Further, in 2018, the apex court passed another landmark judgment in the case of Navtej Singh Johar & Ors. v. Union of India, reading down Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, and, therefore, decriminalizing consensual adult homosexual sex acts. In the backdrop of these landmark judgments – i.e. in post-NALSA and post-377 India – identity and community questions pertaining to transgender, gender non-conforming, and non-binary persons’ access to and presence in educational institutions in India have intensified. Focusing on science institutions, this paper attempts to delineate the ways in which proximal and distal networks of caste-class and gender shape transgender, gender non-conforming, and non-binary persons’ exclusion from and belonging in science collectivities. Further, this paper also investigates how transgender persons’ sense of belonging to certain communities speaks to their shifting epistemic dispositions. Finally, contextualizing transpersons’ negotiations in science communities and individual and collective scales as ‘unstable and hybrid assemblages’, this paper demonstrates the ways in which trans collectives in science institutions radicalize community building and development in these institutional spaces by interrupting dominant institutional cultures and practices.